Shift Happens, Now Let's Move Forward

For the first time in almost a year, I feel safe. I have a sense of relief; a reason to hope and to anticipate grand possibilities for the future. It’s the same unexplainable emotion I felt on President Obama’s inauguration day; a feeling of serenity and trust.

I sincerely feel badly for my GOP friends today, but if it’s any consolation, failure always provides a better education than success. The period following a bellweather event such as this requires a period of rumination; John Milton called it, “Wisdom’s best nurse.” Even Texas Senator, John Cornyn, remarked that this should be a time for reflection and recalibration for the GOP.

Many are claiming the election results are not a mandate. Perhaps it is not a mandate, but it IS a clear rejection of the ugly extremism of the Tea Party (not the GOP) and the nasty un-American politics they practice. As of early Wednesday morning, Democrats (with an assist by an Independent in Maine) have garnered four Republican seats while losing just one of their own. Not a single Democratic incumbent was defeated.

The bullies and extremists: Akin, Mourdock, Brown, and Walsh are gone. Political party switchers who jumped ship for their personal benefit, at the peril of their people, were rejected; Lieberman at the national level and Ysidro Gutierrez at the local level. Most of all, Allen West is gone. Mr. West is the best example of the Tea Party’s rancor and extremism, accusing Democrats of being Communists, labeling Obama supporters as the shallow end of the gene pool. Floridians rejected that sentiment.

These defeats may not signify a mandate, but they send a message to the Republicans. Obstructionism in the name of one’s party and appealing to American’s baser instincts and beliefs is not acceptable.

Change is unavoidable; it will always be with us, even if we don’t notice it. Change occurs gradually and almost imperceptibly. The GOP needs to recognize this. America is no longer solely comprised of older, white, Christian males and that the OWCM demographic can’t “take our country back” because it’s not their country to steal. You didn’t build that; generations of Americans, male and female, of diverse religions and ethnicities, built it. We are no longer a nation comprised solely of Smiths, Jones, Johnsons and O’Malleys; we are also a nation of Odhiambos, Singhs, Barsukovs, Haddads and Agueros. Our skin color may range from neon-white to blue-black, but we are all Americans.

Unfortunately the bullies remain, but their voices are somewhat muffled today. Donald Trump attempted to whip Republican Americans into a blood-frenzy, calling for revolution. Senate-elect, Ted Cruz, arrogantly tossed out the gauntlet of obstructionism to President Obama, even while the voting machines were still warm.

Democrats’ real fight for the future is Texas. Always behind the times, desperately clinging to a quotidian way of life that no longer exists, Texas needs to be the focus in 2014. Perry needs to be unseated and the litigation king, Greg Abbott, needs a pink slip. The Tea Party that seeks to outsource public education to the Corporateurs who were their campaign donors, needs to be replaced. It’s time to have equal representation in our state house and maybe, just maybe, a Hispanic governor.

Without a doubt, the real heroes of the evening were the voters across America.

We owe tremendous gratitude to voters in Ohio, who stood out in the cold and refused to budge. They resisted the domination of Ohio Secretary of State, Husted, proving their iron-clad resolve. Gratitude goes to the Florida voters, the thousands who remained in line for a seven hour marathon, despite running out of ballots and the voter suppression efforts of Florida Governor, Rick Scott. Tremendous thanks and admiration goes to a single man in Floyd County who was asked for a picture ID and asked the question, “Are you denying me my right to vote?”

Thanks to the people in Lubbock who were threatened, their houses vandalized, signs vandalized and even one campaign worker who literally took it on the chin (I love you, Leo Flores!). They all stood their ground, through the voter suppression efforts and voter intimidation tactics. The GOP attempted to bully their way into the White House and Congress and they failed!

That's something that the party across the aisle will NEVER understand about Democrats; the more dire the situation, the more defiant and determined we become. We must remember that determination always pays off, one voter at a time.

Today is not a day for schaudenfraude; it’s not a day for puffery. We should offer an olive branch or two, but not without a modicum of caution. There’s no need for a political crystal ball. We know what the future holds and that’s why we must remain engaged and preserve last evening’s spirit of determination for the inevitably tougher times in our future.

Carol Morgan is a career counselor, writer, speaker, former Democratic candidate for the Texas House and the award-winning author of Of Tapestry, Time and Tears, a historical fiction about the 1947 Partition of India. Follow her on Twitter @CounselorCarol1, on Facebook: CarolMorgan1 and her writer’s blog at www.carolmorgan.org

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Another great one!!! Now, if the rest of the people in our great state will wake up to Perry & Abbott and send them both packing!!! They served their purpose, which was to tear Texas apart!!!
Thank you for your great blog!!!!

It is time to look ahead and see how to build enough leverage to flip TX, sooner rather than later.

Most of the post-election Republican angst (that I've heard expressed) is about government handouts going to the takers not the makers. I think that in another year or so, as the economy picks up and unemployment goes down, this sentiment too will be exposed as a fabrication created (in large part) by rightwing media.

Thank heavens, people aren't stupid. The facts sink in and people change. For instance, just ask yourself: How many more times will those folks with the big bucks (the Kochs et. al.) trust Karl Rove to use their $ for Republican campaigns? The veil has been lifted on Rove and he hasn't lived up to his "genius" hype. You can say the same for most Fox pundits and the "unskewed" polls master who just make up *stuff* because they can't believe the facts. People (consumers of political news especially) will get savvy and get more skeptical about the line of bs that they're being asked accept.

Carol, you never disappoint in your perception of reality. Thank you, thank you, and it is crucial for every American to move forward and be grateful for those voters that braved many obstacles to vote!

That women rejected the Republican efforts to control our bodies: we have spoken! We must expand our voice in Texas and to the old white men living in another century,using their legislative power to invade our female privacy and making decisions concerning our lives.

Please continue to inform and educate us as you are the only voice of (blogging) reason in the MayJ!

People have been sold a bill of goods on this economy. Simply having a job is not the point; building personal wealth is the key. Please read "Aftershock" by David Wiedemer. He predicted exactly what has taken place in both the housing bubble and now the government bail out bubble. It won Obama the election through buying the union vote in Ohio and temporarily propping up the economy with the right talking point indicators. The problem is, solid business principles are not being followed by those bail out recipients because they don't have to make the tough decisions necessary to run a lean, profitable business that will have true staying power, build it's owner's, employee's and customers' wealth long term. Because of our incredible debt load (of which W. is partially responsible for by the way), the dollar is at risk. If this fails, all the social progressivism in the world will be to no avail. I simply don't trust Obama with the economy. For all of Romney's faults, and there are plenty (I can't stomach moderates. Have some back-bone and stick to your beliefs. Even if I disagree with you, I can at least respect you) he is solid on rebuilding the economy. We'll see if Obama will at least have the foresight and fortitude to make some changes economically. The first change the needs to happen is dumping Bernake as soon as possible. He's an academician with an inability to adapt. I wish Obama the best, but quite frankly, I don't see it.

Obviously, the 1% all simply inherited their money from evil robber baron fathers so they have no idea how the economy works. They simply hate the wretched 99% (or maybe in this case, the 51%) and want to see them all sleeping beneath a bridge somewhere. Comparing the economically inept union vote with Wall Street shows your level of incompetence and vitriolic inability to even fathom the other side may have a point. Either way, when hyperinflation hits because of a devastated dollar caused by the bail out bubble bursting then we'll finally get some true national economic policy changes. I'm not a doom and gloom apocalyptic prophet, I'm just a business owner that will protect my investment and my family's well-being above all else.

Let me tell you something: I was in OH in October, and one of the biggest news stories was Paul Ryan showing at a Catholic Charity to "wash dishes" and show his sympathy for the needy. HAH! It was such a ruse, such a blatant photo op! The head of the charity didn't want Ryan there at all, and so he made sure all the dishes were washed ahead of time, so Ryan shows up and rewashes clean dishes. That just rankled people. I heard people talking about it while I stood in lines at the grocery. A lot of Catholics in that neck of the woods, and they didn't appreciate Ryan using their charity for a photo op.

The pure phoniness of the Republican ticket is behind their loss. No one that I spoke with among family members overlooked Romney's 47% remark; it was a burr stuck in their socks.

R & R lost because they lied and lied again, coming across like smug rich boys who would still pick the pockets of working people to pad the wallets of their millionaire and billionaire buddies. Reverse-Robin Hood.

It's been 3- 1/2 years since the government passed a budget. Forget the olive branch , how about handing a pen to Harry Reid and Obama and getting them to sign one? The Democrats ran the House, Senate and White House in 2009 and 2010?

I honestly think both sides use the photo op the same way Ryan did. I can't help but think of John Kerry in the clean suit or Dukakis in the tank. They are all ridiculous.

The 47% remark, while not politically expedient, was, in fact, right on the money. He had no chance of swinging that group just as Obama had no chance of swinging the conservative wing. The election came down to about 4-6% of the populace.

The bail-out, while artificially stimulating the economy, was able to sway enough of the rust belt union employees that he was able to pull off the win. It was a good politcal move that the GOP wasn't able to counter. I don't think it is good long-term, actually I think it will prove to be very negative, but nonetheless, it worked for him.

I buy and turn businesses around and the first thing that must be done is a change of the culture. Had GM and others actually filed for reorganization they would have been forced to change the way they do their job. Some 20% of the employees would have been laid off but the end result would have been a more stable and profitable environment for the remaining 80% which in turn would help stabilize the local economy and bring the 20% back to the workforce in another capacity. It would take a few years for this to take effect and Obama had the foresight to know he wouldn't be re-elected with this kind of unemployment in those blue leaning states so he pulled the trigger, or at least allowed Bush's ill-conceived plan to grow.

What is good short-term is rarely good long term. Only time will tell.

First, regarding Ryan's appearance at a Catholic soup kitchen. Yes, there have been miserable photo ops by candidates throughout the political years. What made this one galling, was that the Catholic Bishops had condemned Ryan's budget plans as immoral. And yet, Ryan is either sent by the Romney campaign or volunteers this appearance to *play act* washing dishes for the needy. That is so unreal and tone-deaf, or an example of I-could-give-a-*blank* politics that it amazes.

RE: the auto bail out: would you (did you) say the same about bailing out Wall Street and the banks? I hated to see taxpayer money going toward the folks who gave us the casino economy, but what was the alternative? I think without the support of the federal government for the financial corporations the country would have been thrown into a true *great* depression rather than the fierce and prolonged recession we've experienced.

The auto bail out, while not perhaps the best long-term outcome, gave assurance to a wide swath of manufacturing companies and their CEOs and employees. I think it was a necessary move, or (basically) austerity measures would have been imposed in a major manufacturing region of the US--and for what purpose?

To me there's been at least a bone thrown to main street, with the auto bailout; Wall Street certainly sucked up enough resources....

Oh, here you are, on Carol Morgan's blog! I guess you missed the message to you on Dr. Fantasia's blog about a dish of crow being left for you on your back stoop. Eat up! It's not every day you get heaping portions, but you earned them.

That is the only rational explanation for Progressives referring to moral conservatives as bullies.

As a left wing Hegelian, all opponents look like right wing Hegelians, not dissimilar from Adolf Hitler.

The reality, however, is that American moderates, Tea partiers included, are neither. They adhere to founding principles that do not separate people into classes or groups and set them against each other as do the Communists. True American principles are founded upon God-given individual rights that are many, numerous and critically important to our economic growth. Hegel rejected the individualism of the American Revolution. That same individualism thoroughly discredited the twin Hegelian philosophies of Communism and Fascism by creating a powerful economic industrial power that defeated Nationalistic Germany in two World Wars and outspent the USSR in the Cold War.

Obama and the Occupied Media should be ashamed of the bald faced lies they told the American public. Even in two against one odds, Mitt nearly won. Would he have set aside Roe v. Wade? No. that was a ridiculous lie. Mitt was liberal Massachusetts governor who naively believed he could help America by letting us develop our own natural resources instead of having to buy them from foreigners at unreasonable prices. Educated people should be ashamed that they fall for such obvious lying. And that they don't require more critical thinking of themselves.

Well the election went the way of the people who vote themselves a raise. No problem. But shift does happen. So when your employer doesn't give good raises because he is paying higher taxes remember that shift happens. And when your tip left at the table is 5% now and not 15% just remember shift happens. And when that charity you like struggles to find donations: shift happens. Remember we rich are rich for a reason. If you demand more money in taxes we will just scale back our generosity. We will continue to get richer. But you might not get the hope and change you think you are getting.

You are funny! I will still tip15+, I will still write a check for my car, I will still pay my taxes, I will not whine about it. I will still give to the Red Cross.............I will get richer AND I will feel richer.

You want to be the Dad. You are telling everyone how you are going to punish them. Is your waitress a conservative getting her degree without using the government? We will scale back our generousity? That is an Oxymoron. You are another great representative. I appreciate your views.

Conservative doesn't matter. Your president will enact legislation that taxes me more and provides hand outs to the lower class. My money is funding that. Therefore my waitress doesn't need the extra funding. See the democratic way will provide things for you but it might not be what you want. Its like your boss paying you in gift cards. Maybe you want the gift cards, and maybe they are to places you don't go to. Under Obama my taxes give that waitress healthcare (the gift card) when she might have preferred the tip (the cash). Isn't economics fun?

You say that Romney wouldn't have worked to overturn Roe v. Wade, but have you read the Republican platform? Here is what it says about support for a Human Life Amendment:

"THE SANCTITY AND DIGNITY OF HUMAN LIFE Faithful to the "self-evident" truths enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, we assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment's protections apply to unborn children."

James, given all the restrictions that have been put in place by Republican governors and elected officials on women who seek abortions, isn't it pretty evident that the Republicans mean what they say? I think you're lying to yourself if you believe that Mitt Romney and especially Paul Ryan wouldn't have worked very hard to overturn Roe v. Wade.

I'm rather certain that your 5% tips will be more a function of your idea of protest than your ability to leave a humane tip. If you can't afford to leave at least 15% for adequate service, you need to stay home and eat some ramen.

Most likely your waitress isn't getting much, if any, help from the government. Once again a big reason your party lost is because y'all assume that everyone who didn't vote for The Many Faces of Mitt is mooching off the rest of you. This idea that your party has a monopoly on hard work, God, and love of country is why you lost.

Full disclosure: I was on unemployment for 6 weeks about 10 years ago when the owners of the business I managed closed shop and blew town with no notice. Beyond that I've had no "handouts." I can't say the same for some folks who probably despise Obama but keep accepting tens or hundreds of thousands in farm subsidies.

Thanks for letting us know how Obama is going to squeeze you so hard that you'll be able to maintain your lifestyle in going out to eat but unable to tip properly. I feel terrible for you. If I see you in a cardboard box under a bridge in the near future, I'll toss you 5% of whatever's in my pocket.